Effective
pig
management involves getting the pig to grow to its optimum
weight as quickly as possible and with the least amount of inputs,
while maximizing the quality of the final product - the meat. This
basically involves three aspects of pig care - shelter, nutrition
and health.

Shelter and shade are essential to proper pig management, since pigs
do not sweat and hence have no way of maintaining the correct body
temperature. If they are not given shade, they may become heat
stressed and this would adversely affect their growth. Hence, they
must be provided with the correct shelter.

The ideal housing should be open in front to allow the proper
ventilation, with a pit so you can handle the pig manure which you
can use as fertilizer for your garden. The area containing the pigs
should also be securely fenced in to ensure they don't wander off
and have to be herded back. You can also consider digging a mud hole
in the pen that the pigs will wallow in. The mud serves to keep the
pigs warm in winter and cool in summer, and conditions their dry,
scaly skin.

Pig
management also involves providing them with the correct food
and water. A plentiful clean water supply is essential for the
continued health of the pigs; their drinking water should also be
changed regularly. You might also want to spray down the pigs with a
hose once or twice a day to keep them cool. While you can feed the
pigs table scraps and spoiled produce, you should supplement this
with the right pig feeds that have the correct balance of nutrients
for optimum growth. You can consult with breeders for the right
feeds to give the pigs at particular stages of their development, to
ensure that they will produce lean meat, rather than meat with a
higher fat content.

Keeping pigs healthy is also a big part of pig management. They
should be given a wormer every four weeks to keep them free from
internal parasites. They should also get the proper vaccinations
from a veterinarian, and their living areas should be sprayed and
kept clean to eliminate external parasites.

Finally, pig management also involves the proper handling of the
pigs. Pigs are intelligent creatures that should be given the right
amount of attention; otherwise they may become too aggressive and
difficult to handle when the time comes to bring them to market to
be sold or to butcher them.